More Than Just Haters
by Prince Mardoll
Summary: Auror Potter is assigned to protect and solve a hate crime against the Malfoys. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Again, thank you so much to my lovely beta CleopatraIsMyName! Though any potential remaining mistakes are still my own.

-o-

In a warm waiting room with a rather distinct smell of sweaty work clothes at St Mungo's Hospital, two young men sat waiting in silence. Awkward silence - if you want to call it that - but let's not.

One of the men was a blond, rich and good-looking young wizard with an impeccable style, by the name of Draco Malfoy. Maybe not looking his absolute best today, but in his defence this hadn't really been one of the best days in his life either.

The other man was stupid Harry I'm-so-important Potter.

The self-important git had just been assigned Draco's guard until some threat assessment-thing was finished and the Ministry no longer thought he was a possible subject of any serious crime. Draco was pretty fucking annoyed at the stupid Ministry for thinking he was exposed to any extraordinary risk - well, mostly because the whole thing couldn't have come at a worse time.

Blaise Zabini, his boyfriend of three years, had just dumped him - two hours ago to be precise.

One hour ago he'd learned that his mother had been attacked, probably by someone who still hated them for having been Death Eaters - not that it was something new, pretty much all ex-eaters received hate from the public all the time.

And now, approximately ten minutes ago, he'd learned that Potter, the arse, was going to protect him. Like Draco was some sort of helpless child, needing of a stupid high-horse ego "hero".

Draco had heard the Auror arguing in the hall with someone about the assignment before getting in to the waiting room where Draco sat, probably thinking he hadn't heard anything. But oh he had heard him, he knew exactly how little Potter wanted to be there in his company. And it's not like Draco wanted him there either, he really didn't need some condescending shit looking down at him.

Honestly, how bad could life actually get before a man should just give up?

"Er…" the Moron started, breaking the silence, "I'm sure your mother will be fine."

Draco thought he was going to start to cry. "You know," he snapped. "Just because we're forced to be in the same room for a while, it doesn't mean that we have to talk."

"No…" the dick-head said, almost sounding a bit sad. "Of course not...sorry," he continued anyway. "It's just…er…I really do think she'll be fine. Healer Healey knows what he's doing, I know him, he's…"

"Shut up," Draco cut off.

"It's just…" Can't-take-a-hint-Potter tried.

"Please, Potter," Draco was horrified by the fact that he had actually got a few tears in his eyes when he said it.

"Sorry," the git said and went quiet.

They sat in silence again for about ten minutes before The Man Who Couldn't Stay Quiet jumped up and started fiddling with a vending machine, obviously not understanding it. After another ten minutes of the man blindly trying to get some obnoxious looking chocolate, still not getting the machine, Draco lost his patience. He walked across the room, tapped his wand on it once and gave the idiot his childish chocolate bar.

"Wow," he smiled. "Thanks Malfoy!"

Before Draco could answer anything, Potty said that he needed to use the restroom and disappeared.

"Draco Malfoy?" a Healer asked, sounding like he thought he was the most important human in the universe.

Draco hurried to the Healer. "Yes, that's me, how is she?"

"I'm Nicholas Healey, Mrs Malfoy's Healer…"

"Yes, I know," Draco interrupted. "How. Is. She?"

"Stable, but she needs rest," Mr Important answered at once. Draco hadn't realised that he had been holding his breath until now, letting out a sigh of relief. "You can go see her for about ten minutes, but then I'll have to ask you to let her rest alone and to come back tomorrow instead."

"I understand." Draco started to walk to the room his mother was lying in, just as Potter came back.

"Harry," the Healer said when he saw Potter, sounding almost nervous. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Nick," Potty smiled, leaning back against the vending machine. "I'm here on duty today actually."

"Well it's nice to see you again," the other man continued boldly. "We should grab a cup of coffee sometime."

Oh, they were so obvious. Well fuck Hairy Fucker and stupid Healer Dick-head. Did they have to flirt on Draco's worst day ever? Well…worst day in a few years, at least. Anyway, they were shagging, Draco knew it. He, of course, was aware of Potter's sexuality. Everybody knew about it, and no, it wasn't like he was interested in it. It was just hard not noticing it when everyone was talking about it. All the time. Even Blaise hadn't been able to shut up about it.

It was just that he hadn't realised that Potty was shagging every single wizard in England.

Well, at least now Draco was able to see his mother in private, as his guard-slut was occupied cosying up with the Healer.

-o-

It was, sadly enough, actually quite nice to see his mother like that; she seemed unharmed but was still too drugged to say anything homophobic to him. They had a nice conversation about the similarities between mushrooms and boys, and he felt somewhat better.

-o-

Fifteen minutes later Slutty Healey knocked on the door and it was time for Draco to leave. With Potter.

"Er…" the Stutter One started again. "Do you want to use the Floo or Apparate?"

Draco still couldn't cope with Potty, he just wanted to lie down alone and cry. So he didn't bother answering and instead took the other man's arm and Apparated them both to his apartment.

"Good night," Draco said as soon as they were both standing steady again. "I'm going to bed now. Guest bedroom's to the right, and if you need anything — sort it yourself." Then he turned around and walked straight to his bedroom, before the shit-head could answer.

The room was disturbingly quiet and his bed stone cold. Draco realised it was the first time in years he was going to have to sleep alone in it.

-o-

"Soo…" Potter struggled as Draco sat down in his own kitchen — not that Potter seemed to care about that, looking like he felt rather at home drinking coffee and making what looked like scrambled eggs. "How's everything?"

"Absolutely fabulous," Draco snarled and summoned a cup of coffee.

"That's…nice." Feeling-homely-Potter took his creation from the stove and sat down at the table. "Do you want some scrambled tofu?"

"Tofu?"

"Yes, it's like a vegan version of scrambled eggs!" Potter said a little too enthusiastic this early in the morning. "Do you want some?"

"…sure." It couldn't hurt to taste it, and actually Draco was kind of very hungry. And also it smelled really good. "So how long are you going to be here?" Draco asked uninterested.

"It depends, it'll be easier to answer once we know by who and why your mother was attacked."

"Why she was attacked?" Draco didn't even try to hide the snarky tone. "Have you guys forgotten we were Death Eaters? 'Cause most people sure haven't — this was nothing, we're attacked all the time."

"Yes, I know," Potty looked a little sad. "But your mother had professional protection already, she should've been safe."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she's been getting harassed more than usual and received really disturbing owls…" Potter said. "Er…" he looked like he didn't know how to continue. "…about you actually."

"What? How come I haven't heard about this?"

"We've just started investigating it, and it's kind of chaos in the whole department at the moment." The Auror looked slightly uncomfortable. "And also, no one realised the threats and owls we're about you."

"How come?"

"They were kind of specific…"

" _In what way_?" Draco was starting to get annoyed now.

"Er — they were about you being gay," the Auror confessed. "No one working on the case knew you were, and Narcissa didn't seem to know either."

"Oh, she knows. She just likes to pretend she that doesn't."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"So what," now Draco understood. "They didn't know how to deal with a gay Death Eater so they assigned their Super Gay to deal with me?"

"Er…no it's not like that."

-o-

A knock on the door.

"I'm sorry, you can't open it yourself." Guard Dog Potter said.

So this was his life now. Being babysat by the bloody Chosen Guy.

"Er…Malfoy, Blaise Zabini is at the door. Are you friends with him?"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Draco hurried to the door to greet an annoyed Blaise. "Let him in, and maybe you can go for a walk or something?"

"Nope, sorry, can't do that. But I won't disturb," the man paused looking at a cursing Draco and a shocked Blaise. "And I promise you, I don't enjoy this either."

Draco took his boyfr- his EX's hand and led him in to the bedroom to get some privacy. "What are you doing here?" He said as soon as they were alone.

"First of all, what in Salazar's name is Scarhead doing here?" Blaise countered. "Is he some sort of weird rebound?"

"What?! No!" Draco screamed a little too loud.

The Auror shouted a little awkward from outside the room. "Are you OK in there?"

"Yes, please don't disturb anymore!" The somewhat annoyed Draco answered.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on? I heard your mother was attacked so I just wanted to see how you were doing," Blaise paused. "And…" he continued. "I might also maybe have been missing you a little bit."

"You have?" Draco hadn't actually thought about Blaise that much — but there had been a lot going on so that probably didn't mean anything. "He's here as an Auror, guarding me, so I don't get attacked as well."

"Oh, why?" Blaise looked upset. "Are you all right, sweetie?" He said, taking a step closer to his ex, reaching out to caress his face.

"Do not call me that." Draco said, but without stepping out of the familiar touch.

"Please Draco, can't we just talk?"

"What, you don't want to be broken up anymore?" He said as sarcastic as he could, trying not to seem like he cared one bit.

"Well, yes, I want to be broken up. But I'm still your friend. We've been together forever and friends for longer, Draco. We can't just end it like it was nothing."

"No it was you who did that!"

"Please, hun, we've had this conversation before." Blaise started with his explaining voice. "You don't know how to open up about your feelings and I can't be together with a stone person that…"

"Can we please not talk about it anymore?" Draco cut him off.

"Sure," Blaise moved closer. "Of course, Draco." He said as he brushed away a strand of hair from the other wizard's face. "So what would you like to do instead?"

Draco leaned in to the touch, against his better judgment, looked at Blaise for a moment and then kissed him as he pulled him over to the bed.

-o-

"So how long have you been together?" The Golden Pot asked a few hours later, when Blaise had Disapparated and there was only Draco and him left in the apartment again.

"Three years," Draco answered, contemplating how much he was going to spill about his wreck of a life. "Or, well…actually — we broke up."

"What, just now?"

"No, yesterday. But it's been a long time coming."

"Oh, I'm sorry"


	2. Chapter 2

CleopatraIsMyName is still the best beta reader ever, thank you for fixing up the chapter!

-o-

Harry woke up in a good mood the next day. Today he was being relieved by Dean Thomas, his partner, which would make him able to go to a workplace where he was at least a little bit appreciated and do work he wasn't extremely over-qualified for - in contrast to hanging around with a snarky, mean bore who only wanted him gone. A good looking bore, but still - a bore.

But first of all, he was going home.

He met Dean in the doorway, wished him well and tried to ignore the annoyed look on his face.

"Why do _we_ have to do this?" Dean said in a hushed voice. "We're the best they have!"

"You know why, if we always get all the good assignments the others will protest," Harry tried. "And also, I don't know if it's that bad. Don't you think it's important to stop hate crimes?"

"Of course, it's just that it's Malfoy you know."

"Yeah I know." Potter said, patting his partner on the shoulder and giving him a sympathetic glance before hurrying home.

-o-

He Apparated home to his two flat-mates who were completely occupied with snogging each other senseless.

"Good morning guys," he said, sitting down at the breakfast table, snatching some of the food his friends had served at the table.

Hermione smiled and sat down at the table with Harry. "Good morning, Harry."

"Morning, Mate, " Ron said, also sitting down. "So you're free from the Amazingly Arrogant Ferret then?"

"Yeah, for a while at least," Harry said with his mouth full of bread. "But I have to do a ton of paperwork all day, good thing Smith's working today - I'll need something good to look at."

"You're still seeing him then?" Ron said disgustedly, "You know, Ginny's coming home next week," He continued. "Why don't you two just settle down with each other?"

"Oh, settle down for what?" Harry countered, "One week of monogamous bliss — until the next game she has to be gone for? You know that the kind of relationship the two of you have would never work for us. Can't you just realise that? It would never work. And, by the way, I wouldn't want it to - our way is wickedly awesome. We're not like you two."

"He knows that, Harry," Hermione tried to meddle. "It's just that we're both not sure Smith's exactly the right one for you."

"Please, would you just shut it? You guys should hear yourselves! Do you not hear how homophobic you sound right now?"

"You know that's not what we mean!" Ron seemed genuinely upset. "It's not about him being a guy, it's about him being an awful human being."

"No, Ron, it's about two consenting adults who can do whatever the fuck they want with each other!" Harry stormed out of the room.

-o-

After short nap and a warm shower, Harry realised that he maybe had been somewhat childish towards his two best friends. So he dressed himself and went out to the kitchen where they were still drinking coffee in silence, and apologised.

"No we're sorry too, Harry."

-o-

As it was Monday, the trio greeted a full and hectic Ministry and Harry and Ron hurriedly said goodbye to Hermione who was heading to the fourth floor where the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was. They quickly continued to the Auror Office on the second floor.

Once they got in to the office, Neville said hi to Harry before he and Ron went to their cubicles to start working on the Egypt Affairs case and left Harry alone to start on the Malfoy case.

Harry sat down by his desk and started filing the much neglected paperwork mess on it.

At lunchtime, Zacharias Smith came by his desk. "You want to grab something to eat?" He said, leaning back against the cubical wall.

Harry looked over to where Ron and Neville was busy working on their case. "Yeah, sure, let's go."

-o-

It's not like he didn't get why his friends hated Smith, but he really wasn't that bad once you got to know him. He's maybe not the most trusting or friendly person in the world, but he's kind of smart and really good at his work. He really is!

And also, he's pretty good in bed. Decent, at least.

"Thanks again," Smith smiled as Harry cleaned them both up. "It's time to go back now."

-o-

When they came back to the Headquarters Robards called him to his office.

"Good Afternoon Potter," Robards said. "Sit down," he continued conjuring up a chair in front of his desk. "How is your case going?"

"Good, but slowly," Harry replied. "It's hard to work efficiently when your partner is occupied baby-sitting the victims."

"Yes of course, I know. It's been chaos in the department, as you know." Robards said looking through some papers. "But I think we'll be able to send some officers to help keep the Malfoys safe now," he continued looking up briefly. "I will tend to it immediately. You can go back to work and Thomas will most certainly be able to assist you within the hour."

"Good. Thank you, Robards!"

-o-

As promised, Dean showed up shortly afterwards and they started going through all of the hate letters sent to both Malfoy and his mother - even though the younger Malfoy hadn't really read any of the ones sent to him ("What, why would I read any letters from people I don't know? Do you think I'm mental? I'm a former Death Eater, hello? You think I get fluffy fan letters like you, or what?").

"Hey, Harry," Dean interrupted the silence. "Are you OK?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well we've been reading these for hours, and…" He continued slightly hesitantly. "They're pretty vile…and…about gay stuff - you know?"

"Gay stuff? You think because I like dudes I'm not able to do my work as an Auror?"

"Sorry, Harry, of course you can. Didn't mean it like that!"

Of course he didn't, they never did. But there actually was something unsettling about the letters, like he'd seen the writing before. Not these exact letters but it all just seemed familiar in some way.

"Do you know what they mean with 'stop dirtying our country with your filthy values again'? The Malfoys haven't done anything suspicious lately, right?" Dean asked. "What is this 'again' they're referring to?"

"I haven't the slightest idea."

-o-

They interviewed both the Malfoys the next day. None of them seemed to have done anything out of the ordinary that could have made them any new-born enemies.

Mrs Malfoy was living a quiet life, mostly staying at home in the Manor and in touch with just a few old friends, far away from most society. She offered some tea and biscuits when they came to visit but unfortunately had very little helpful information to share. She also seemed rather convinced that her son eventually would marry a woman named Astoria.

Draco Malfoy was working as an interpreter at the Ministry in the Department of International Magical Cooperation but knew almost no one there and was also keeping a rather low profile with, similar to his mother, just a few close friends. His office was just like him: tidy, obnoxious and kind of amusing. There were organised books and paper files all over the walls, a few notepads lined up in a row taking notes in different languages and an antique looking sculpture of a wizard bust making comments in Arabic, apparently to help him keep up to date with the language for his latest assignment.

The days passed by without any real progress with the case. They had interviewed all of the Malfoys' acquaintances and enemies, and then some. It had almost become routine to meet Malfoy for a morning coffee in his office and Mrs Malfoy for an afternoon tea in the Manor.

"You know what?" Dean said, out of the blue, one day as they were on their way back to the office after asking Malfoy some more questions. " I like him."

"You like who?"

"Malfoy, of course!" Dean exclaimed, as if he thought Harry was the stupidest man alive for not understanding that.

"What do you mean 'like'? You're gay for Malfoy now, of all people?"

"No, not _like_ like him, like him as a person, dumbass. He's not that awful, you know."

"Huh," Harry hadn't thought about it that way, maybe Malfoy wasn't that awful after all. "I guess you're right."

-o-


End file.
